Pump Purveyors
ORTEQ Energy Technologies manufactures custom water-transfer pumping units for oilfields and beyond. Based in Gainesville, Texas, the family-owned and -operated company manufactures custom-built pumping units for well stimulation, hydraulic fracturing, cementing, water transfer, and a wide range of other industrial uses.
Pumping units for all environments
Cole Ortowski, the company's co-owner and vice president, knows his customers require rugged machines that will operate reliably in harsh working conditions. The company's pumping units must often endure extreme temperatures, dusty conditions, and high elevations.
"We have customers who are drilling during the winter in North Dakota, in the high altitudes of the Rocky Mountains, and in the heat of south Texas," says Ortowski. "Our priority is supplying a pumping unit that we feel is the best, and that's not going to give our customers any quality issues. Since we started using John Deere engines in 2005, we’ve never had any trouble with them. John Deere has proven to be one of the engines of choice, and we literally have hundreds of John Deere engines that perform in these extremes."
The company offers a wide variety of water-transfer pumping units that deliver 164 to 56,781 liters per minute (1,100 to 15,000 gallons per minute). Of the diesel-driven water pumps, 98 percent are powered by John Deere industrial engines that range from 55 to 448 kW (74 to 600 hp).
High horsepower equals high flow rates
Over the course of the company's 10-year history, Ortowski has seen a dramatic shift to high-horsepower pumping units that can move higher volumes at faster rates. The John Deere–powered pumping units are used primarily to transfer water from a water source through above-ground pipes to fracking storage tanks.
"In the early- to mid-2000s, the flow rates were 3,000 gallons per minute (11,356 liters per minute). Today, it's not uncommon to have flow rates up to 6,000 gallons per minute (22,712 liters per minute) at higher pressures, as well," details Ortowski.
ORTEQ offers a wide range of John Deere–powered pumping units with a growing majority powered by 448-kW (600-hp) John Deere PowerTech™ PSS 13.5L Final Tier 4 engines. ORTEQ receives the diesel engines from its John Deere engine distributor, engines, inc., assembled as complete power units.
"The support from engines, inc., is second to none," Ortowski notes. "They have been incredible; they are there to help us with anything."
Game-changing dealer support
ORTEQ pairs the John Deere power unit with Cornell pumps. The units are customized to customer specifications and mounted to either a bumper-pull or goose-neck trailer. ORTEQ sells pumping units directly to customers as well as renting them through its sister company, Aquacore Rental Company.
"Water-transfer providers consider local John Deere dealer service, support, and parts extremely important," says Aquacore Vice President Trey Sepulvado. Aquacore's staff includes trained technicians schooled by engines, inc., on John Deere Service ADVISOR™, a robust program created by John Deere to perform diagnostics and repairs on machines.
"John Deere engines are the most reliable, and they are easy to work on in the field," says Sepulvado, and Ortowski agrees. "It all comes down to preventative maintenance. If you maintain the engines properly, they will last a long time. We have units with 20,000 hours that are still working in our fleet," he says.
Yet sometimes there's still a need for John Deere dealer support and service. "We have a good relationship with dealers everywhere we operate," Sepulvado says. Among them is AirGen Equipment LLC, a John Deere service dealer in Odessa, located in the heart of the oil-producing region of West Texas. "They really prioritize our needs. They get the equipment in and out, and it's always fixed right — at a fair price."
Proud to power oil and gas
Ortowski says John Deere pumping units continue to populate the petroleum regions of the United States. "John Deere engines are really held in high regard in the oil and gas industry," he says. "A lot of water-transfer pumps are now powered by John Deere engines. They have proven to be really reliable. The engines just start and run all day long."
John Deere has proven to be one of the engines of choice, and we literally have hundreds of John Deere engines that perform in these extremes.
